Glutamate-like receptors (GLRs) is a highly conserved family of ligand-gated ion channels, which have been associated with various physiological and developmental processes. Here, we investigated the evolutionary pattern of GLRs in plants. We observed that tandem duplications occupied the largest proportion of the plant GLR gene family expansion. Based on a phylogenetic tree, we suggested a new subfamily, GLR4, which is widespread in angiosperm but absence on Brassicales. Meanwhile, because GLR1 and GLR2 subfamilies were potential sister clades, we combined them into the GLR1&2 subfamily. A comparative analysis of plant GLR subfamilies revealed that selective forces shaped the GLR1&2 repertoires in the stems of eudicotyledons with distinct functional preferences. Moreover, GLR1&2 formed a species-specific highwoody-expanded subfamily, with preferential expression in the cambial-enriched and shoot apical meristem fractions of the highwood species. Together, these findings lay the foundation for evolutionary analysis of plant GLRs over the entire plant timescale and identified unique targets for manipulating the woody-growth behaviours of plant GLRs.